Is a frugal lifestyle miserable?

[frustratedearthmother]

so we have more money for goats

Whoopie! I vote for more money for more goats!!

I like being frugal. It's kind of like a challenge or a game to live comfortably (everyone has a different idea of what that means) and spend no more than you want to.

I feel very blessed to live in a house that I own. It's warm and dry and we have a full pantry and several full freezers. And - I have two new goats, lol.

Nothing wrong with choosing how you spend your money.

 

[murphysranch]

I'm proud of being frugal. But I don't brag about it. I should tho......

 

[tortoise]

That reminds me of my decadent frugal luxury: homemade vanilla extract! It's a little pricey up front to buy the vanilla beans and a long wait (6-12 months), but after that you get amazing vanilla extract.

I bought this pack of vanilla beans, for $9.45 in 2021. It made 32 ounces. Actually more, because I left the beans in one bottle and top it off with vodka every once in a while.

I had been paying $10/ounce for vanilla extract, so I figure this is worth $310 (32 oz x $10, minus $9.45. The vodka was a gift.)

On the other hand, I use more vanilla extract than I used to because I can afford to and we all love it.

 

[baymule]

I’ve purged my closet almost to the point of nakedness. I’m going to have to haunt the sale racks-and I hate shopping.

 

[tortoise]

I love giving my dogs new toys. They're so fun to watch. and they're more appreciative than my children. I can really mess up a budget in a big way with dog treats and toys!

I took 3 old dog toys and wrapped them up for Yule. Splash gets to rip open a box of "new" toys and it doesn't cost anything.

 

[Mini Horses]

Not cheap. But it does take self training to get there. Grow what you can, preserve it, learn to make things. Time elements can be hard -- younger families, younger children (pier pressures), working adults. Easier if you were raised into the lifestyle. 😏

So worth it though....financially and emotionally, plus health benefits.

 

[flowerbug]

One thing I've learned to do is, I buy the best quality clothing I can afford-- natural fibers and well made if possible. If I can find them in a thrift store or a yard sale, that's a bonus... but it doesn't happen often because we live in an area that has been financially depressed since I was in high school. I would rather have a half dozen good quality outfits (separates give me more choices), than 3 dozen cheap crap from WalMart that will either fall apart the third time I wear it, or something so butt-ugly it hurts your eyes, but lasts for 10 years (has anyone else noticed this tendency?)...

i'm wearing a t-shirt that we should have cut up and thrown in the rag bin. it's a light wimpy green color close to what i would call institutional green. i hate the color. we've said too often that we should take it out and put it on the driveway and bleach it and i've offered to buy dye to change the color because i really don't want to look at it another time, but i'll probably end up having this shirt for another 20 years unless i throw it away or cut it up. if it were bright green or dark green i'd be fine with it. hmm... i have some other white shirts i'd rather have green too... i'm going to do this sometime. what can go wrong? ... heeheehee...

 

[CLSranch]

with all that said, everyone's needs are different but all should ask the question daily.
Is this ______ a need or a want?

A national finance advisor that I occasionally hear on the radio has a saying. Stop spending money on what you want and you'll have the money for what you need.

well I can tell you that my internet is a NEED so that I can hang out and get advice and feedback from all you lovely people!

Before I moved here and bought this house, I lived in a little valley where I couldn't get any tv channels, without the big antennas that used to be on the side of most houses. That is what I have now by the way. The truck was paid for, so minimum bills. I got satellite tv and internet. I kept it for years with the new house. (I did a lot more around the house and was less stressed then with no tv or computer or smartphone.)

Point I'd did some figuring on that bill alone. If that bill went to the house payment the first 3 years it would have been up to $10k in savings if you include the interest I wouldn't have paid. Although I wouldn't have put all that $$$ toward the house, it could have gone to other bills or helped in the dry times.

Quick math. 100 a month= 1,200 a year. On most payments 1st year is 98% + in interest. That's 1,000 you save every year in interest until halfway (give or take remember quick math) through the payment. Now that 1,000 saved can go to the next year, plus the original 1,200.
I did the math halfway through my mortgage. With no extra payments. I paid exactly the loan amount for the house.

Sorry for the unnecessary rant and unwanted math. And yes I do still have internet.

 

[CLSranch]

We need a computer or some smart thingie for our kindergarten home school.

 

[baymule]

Here I was, being a responsible adult, I passed on a new laptop on Black Friday sale because I wanted to pay off the credit card that I used to pay for Sentry’s stay at the hospital. Yep, being frugal, sensible, going to get a fan on the old laptop……. That went south in a hurry.
I bought a horse out of a kill pen. Just couldn’t stop myself.